


A Stranger's Funeral

by Pyreneese



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Funerals, Gen, Loneliness, Regret, Sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:55:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22682833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyreneese/pseuds/Pyreneese
Summary: L stands on the roof, reminiscing of when his parents died, when he makes a chilling realization.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 26





	A Stranger's Funeral

The bells are so loud today.

L's feet are cold against the bare floor, the chill creeping up his spine. He can hear them pounding against his eardrum until there's nothing left but their sound. The last time he heard them was at his parents' funeral.

They'd been quiet people, leading relatively isolated lives with their son. No immediate family or really anyone to take care of L. No, the funeral home was flooded with coworkers and other parents whose kids had tried becoming friends with L. Ignoring the other children trying to get his attention, L pressed into Watari, burying his little face in the man's jacket. All these new and confusing emotions were overwhelming him, making it impossible to concentrate.

He could still remember his hand tightly clutched in Watari's, watching the people he loved with large grey eyes, resting calmly in their coffins. They looked so peaceful and L had been so young that he thought they were just sleeping. But Watari explained to him that they weren't coming back... that this would be the last time L would see them... tears welled up in his eyes. He didn't want to say goodbye to them!... and so he hadn't...

L's stubborn streak had won out, and much to Watari's protest, L left the room without getting close to their coffins. Without touching their hands one last time or telling them how much he loved them. He refused to step back into the room and no amount of coaxing from Watari was going to change his mind. In his mind, if he acted stubborn, if he pretended everything was fine, they'd sit up from their coffins. They'd swing their legs over and rush to find him, to comfort him and kiss his forehead while his mother hummed. He held onto that, not only leaving the room but stepping outside of the funeral home and into the garden.

He'd regretted that decision to this day.

L opens the door to the roof. It's pouring outside, the rain pelting with such a ferocity that it awed him. He leans against the doorway, wishing time and time again he'd given his mother one last kiss. His father one last hug

One last goodbye.

Was that why he was hearing the bells again? Or was it something different? Something more ominous? L tries to convince himself that they're coming from somewhere other than his head. A church, perhaps? A wedding? But his mind keeps wandering to funerals. He'd always thought they could be lovely, with their white flowers and quiet atmosphere. L liked the quiet. Silence had a weight of its own, sometimes being so heavy one could physically feel it dragging them down.

What would his funeral be like? Who would be there? What did he want? A small smile almost crosses his lips. He wanted Matt, Near and Mello. L loved the boys more than life itself, with their little quirks and desire to impress. There wasn't much anyone else... Watari, for sure. L paused himself. Watari? Was his mind assuming he'd die young enough for the older man to attend? The feeling left him uneasy, but L allows himself to continue imagining what he'd desire. He'd want white flowers around his body, what kind he didn't care. For some reason, he starts thinking of the smell of the room. He'd always hated the stuffiness and old perfume emanating from the air. No. He'd want something sweet. A pleasant aroma akin to hot chocolate that could soothe the nerves and make any event, no matter how scary or dangerous, warm and inviting.

And that's when it hit him, a deeper sadness than he would've expected.

L wouldn't get what he wanted.

He would be dying young. Would Watari still be alive? It was hard to tell... but this case would kill him. And it'd be too dangerous for the boys or anyone else he cared about to attend. Kira wouldn't care about the presentation of his funeral, nor the smell in the air or ask if L would be happy with it. Light would just come for show, to pretend that they were somehow close and that he was devastated. The task force would probably come, along with Misa. But they didn't care about him. To them, it'd be a formality, the death of their boss and an obligation to pay respects. He was a stranger to all of them, a quirky, mysterious stranger, who some on the task force didn't even like.

L looked up into the sky, just letting the water hit his face. He could even feel it deep in his bones, a warning that not even Watari would be there. An intuition he didn't want to believe was real but somehow knew it was true. The truth rocked him, shaking him in a way he didn't think was possible.

He'd be a stranger at his own funeral.


End file.
